


Can you tell me how it used to be?

by agreytracksuit



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, School Reunion, the one that got away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22183117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agreytracksuit/pseuds/agreytracksuit
Summary: Raven is scared to go to her high school reunion in case she runs into her almost lover, Murphy. But when she reluctantly decides to go, he's the only person she really wants to see.
Relationships: Jasper Jordan/Maya Vie, John Murphy/Raven Reyes, Monty Green/Harper McIntyre
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	Can you tell me how it used to be?

It all started when Raven got the invitation on Facebook. She had barely thought about high school since she left, and aside from having everyone on social media she didn’t really keep in touch with her high school friends.

She didn’t intend on going, but she hit the “maybe” button just in case she changed her mind. Occasionally she would get the notifications of people posting to the event.

**_Sorry guys, can’t make this one. See you in ten years?_ **Wells Jaha posted, followed by a cry-laughing emoji.

Raven scrolled through the list of people who had already said they were attending. Clarke Griffin had created the event, so obviously she would be there, likely with her husband Bellamy who had been a couple of years ahead of them.

Monty. Jasper. Harper. Octavia. Even Lexa had said she was going, which surprised Raven since she and Clarke had a pretty messy break up Junior year.

Raven clicked on the “maybes” next and her heart skipped a beat when she saw John Murphy’s name. She’d been trying not to think about him, but she couldn’t deny that even just seeing his name brought back a lot of old memories. But he’d only said “maybe”, and everyone know that maybe was a polite way to say no. He wasn’t going to show.

“Are you looking at that again?” Raven’s boyfriend Shaw asked, seeing her laptop screen as he walked around the couch and took a seat next to her. “If you want to go, you should go.”

“I don’t think I do want to go, though,” she told him, not looking up from the screen. “I haven’t seen most of these people since high school and I didn’t like half of them then.”

“Don’t you think they’ve changed? You know that you have,” he pointed out. “Give them the benefit of the doubt. Who knows, you might even have fun.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nuzzled her neck.

“You’re sure you can’t come with me?” she pleaded. Shaw planted a kiss on her cheek.

“Sorry baby, but like I told you, I’m on call all weekend,” he reminded her. He removed his arm from her shoulders and got up from the couch, walking out of the room. Raven bit her lip and sighed, hovered her mouse over the button, and tentatively hit “going.”

-

Raven bought a new dress for the occasion. She didn’t bother doing anything too fancy with her hair or make up, though. She figured there was no point trying too hard for these people she didn’t care about anymore. She didn’t want them to think she was trying to impress them. She didn’t need to do that anymore.

Since the reunion was out of town, she’d booked a hotel in the area. She arrived only ten minutes after the official start time, figuring the earlier she got there the earlier she could go home. To her surprise, there were actually a few people already there. Clarke waved at her from across the room and walked towards her.

“Raven, hi!” Clarke greeted her, pulling her into a hug that was far too friendly, considering they hadn’t seen each other in a while. “I’m so glad you could make it. Please, take your nametag and feel free to grab a drink. Finger food will start coming out around 8pm.”

It was weird that she was talking to her like that, like they didn’t used to be best friends. Maybe once everyone was a little drunker the conversation would get easier.

Raven picked up her nametag and pinned it to her dress, even though she thought the idea of nametags was ridiculous. People didn’t change that much, surely they’d be able to recognise each other.

She looked around the room just as Jasper walked in, arm in arm with a woman Raven could only imagine was his wife. He caught her eye and waved at her, starting to make his way over before being barraged by Clarke and given the welcome spiel. He obligingly picked up his nametag once she was done and walked his way over to Raven.

“It’s weird being back here, right?” Jasper said, looking around their old high school gym which was almost unrecognisable with all of the refurbishments that had been done since their graduation, as well as the decorations that were covering the walls and ceilings.

“Even just being back in town is bizarre,” Raven agreed. “It’s been years since I’ve been back here.”

Jasper nodded in response before putting his arm around the woman he was with and gesturing to Raven. “I’d like you to meet my wife, Maya,” he introduced. “Maya this is Raven. We were close friends in high school and actually both served on the chemistry team together.”

“Yes, that’s right, we did,” Raven remembered. She turned to Maya. “It’s so lovely to meet you.”

Jasper started glancing around the room as if he were looking for someone. “You haven’t seen any of the others yet?” he asked, still moving his head around. Raven glanced up at the door, almost hoping the Murphy would be the next person to walk in.

“I can see Monty and a very pregnant Harper walking through the door right now,” she replied. The room was starting to fill up with more and more people, and Raven realised the benefit of the nametags. She couldn’t believe how few people she recognised. Even the names of some of them weren’t ringing any bells.

“I forgot how much I hated these people,” Octavia noted as she walked up to the circle of friends, drink in hand. “What’s up guys?”

“I love how casual you are, like we still see each other every day and you just walked up to the lunch table,” Harper said with a fond smile. “I miss those days.”

“It looks like you have a lot to look forward to now, though,” Raven responded, hinting at the pregnancy. Harper beamed at her.

“Don’t get me wrong, I would never want to trade my life now for my life back then,” she assured her. “But it was nice when our problems were small and meaningless.”

“They seemed like the end of the world back then,” Octavia reminded them. “God, Raven, remember how you and Murphy almost got together, like, three times? I must have listened to you cry over him a thousand times.”

Raven gave a short laugh. “Yeah, I was a total disaster back then,” she said, glancing up at the door again to see if he’d arrived. “Don’t act like I’m the only one who had relationship drama, though. I remember all of your little flings, Octavia.”

Octavia laughed and rolled her eyes. Clarke approached the group with a clipboard under her arm and a drink in her hand.

“Hey guys, I think I have a spare minute to chat which is crazy,” she said breathlessly. “What are we all talking about.

“Relationship blunders of the past,” Harper replied. “Which I think you might have a few stories about!”

“Oh, it wasn’t relationships so much as friendships,” Clarke said with a small smile as she remembered back. “Aside from the whole Finn debacle, Octavia didn’t talk to me for _weeks_ after I started dating Bellamy.”

The group laughed as they continued to share stories, and Raven stole another glance at the door. Clarke seemed to notice.

“I don’t think he’s coming,” she said softly, so the others couldn’t hear. Raven gave her a look of confusion.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied. Clarke looked dubious.

“Come on, Raven,” she said. “We might not be close anymore but I still know you. Every time I look over here, you’re staring at the door. And, I know him. I’m sorry.”

Raven looked down at her drink and Clarke turned back to the group who had now moved on to the funniest camp stories.

-

After an hour, Raven decided she’d had enough. She grabbed a couple of spring rolls from the platters that had just started coming around, said her goodbyes, and headed out the door. She was about to call a cab and sit on the steps out the front of the school when she saw him.

Murphy got out of his car, locked the door, looked up and froze. The two stood there staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. They hadn’t seen each other in ten years. They’d been so close to being together so many times, and seeing each other again after all this time felt like seeing a ghost.

Finally, Raven took a step down and Murphy unfroze as they began walking toward each other, still not saying a word. They stopped a foot away as if they read each other’s minds, not wanting to stand too close.

“I didn’t think you’d come,” Raven said, just loud enough for him to hear. Murphy shrugged.

“I wasn’t going to,” he told her. She nodded, but remained silent. Murphy looked at his feet. “I, uh, was actually hoping to have missed you.”

Raven gave a short laugh. “Another five minutes and you would have,” she replied. She shook her head in disbelief. Murphy smiled like he was in on a joke no one else understood.

“But then, we’ve always been shit for timing, haven’t we?” he smirked. Raven couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly it felt like the awkwardness melted away and she closed the gap between them, pulling him into a hug. He hugged her back tightly and she closed her eyes like nothing else existed, sighing happily into his shoulder.

“It’s good to see you again,” Raven said genuinely. Murphy nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, it’s really good to see you too,” he said. He looked at her thoughtfully. “Hey, I don’t really feel like going in. Do you want to just sit in my car and smoke weed, like the good old days?”

“God, that sounds amazing!” Raven agreed enthusiastically. Murphy unlocked his car and Raven got into the passenger seat. She opened the glovebox and, just as she expected, she found the weed and papers. “You really haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

“What can I say? I’m a creature of habit,” Murphy said with a sly smile. He rolled up a joint and lit it, taking a deep puff before passing it to Raven. She closed her eyes as she inhaled, savouring the moments. She held the smoke in her lungs and breathed it out slowly.

“Remember when we used to do this during lunch? I think Mr Pike caught us like five times,” Raven laughed, not knowing if it was the memory or the weed already kicking in that was making her happy.

“Only five? I think ten is more accurate,” Murphy countered, taking another drag. Raven sighed contently.

“We were all so close then. What happened?” she wondered aloud. Murphy looked down at his hands.

“You know what happened,” he said. “At least, you know what happened between us.”

Raven nodded. “Timing,” she finished. “It was always the timing. First it was me with Finn, then you with Emori… what was the last time?” She took the joint from Murphy and breathed it in as she tried to remember why they never got together towards the end of their senior year. Murphy cleared his throat and avoided her eye.

“You were going to a college interstate and told me you didn’t think long distance was such a good idea,” he reminded her. “Then you assured me you’d be moving back here after college and we would be together then. Both of which were lies.”

Raven looked at him, though he was still looking away, and nodded her head as she remembered. “It was all my fault,” she whispered. She sighed and turned her body to face the front. “Wow, I was such a fucking bitch. I really just expected you to wait for me, huh?”

Murphy nodded. “Yeah, you kinda were,” he agreed with a smirk. Raven punched his arm playfully.

“You’re not supposed to agree, you jerk!” she laughed, but she quickly became serious again. “I am really sorry, Murphy. I am.”

Murphy looked up at her. “Yeah, I know you are.”

They sat in silence again, and Raven pondered whether or not she was going to say what she really wanted to say. She inhaled then paused, almost like a run up to the question. Murphy looked at her expectantly.

“Have we missed our chance?” she finally asked. Murphy gave her a sad smile.

“I think you already know the answer to that,” he replied softly. “You’ve got a boyfriend.”

Raven nodded, her eyes starting to well up. “I still love you, you know that?” she told him. A single tear rolled down her cheek and Murphy brushed it away, his thumb lingering on her face.

“I know,” he whispered. Without thinking he moved his mouth to hers, finally kissing her the way he’d wanted to all these years. She kissed him back, moving in sync like they were meant to fit together. The kiss was passionate but became softer, ending with a small peck as Raven reluctantly pulled away.

“I should get home,” she said, not moving away.

“I should make an appearance,” Murphy agreed. The both slowly moved away from each other and got out of the car. “Goodbye Raven.”

“Goodbye Murphy,” she said. She watched as he started to head towards the building.

He turned around to face her, and while walking backwards he called out, “Maybe when the timing’s right,” before turning back around, and disappearing into the school.


End file.
